Hakon "Tormveir" Hakonson's page

Maneuvers
A knight disciple begins her career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to her are Golden Lion, Iron Tortoise, and Silver Crane. A knight disciple gains Bluff and Perception as class skills.

Once the knight disciple knows a maneuver, she must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by knight disciples is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in it or its discipline’s description. A knight disciple’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.

The knight disciple learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as indicated on Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression. The maximum level of maneuvers gained through knight disciple levels is limited by those listed in that table as well, although this restriction does not apply to maneuvers added to his maneuvers known through other methods, such as prestige classes or the Advanced Study feat. A knight disciple must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See the Systems and Use chapter in Path of War for more details on how maneuvers are used.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered initiator level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), the knight disciple can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she knows; the knight disciple need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. She can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. A knight disciple’s initiation modifier is Charisma, and each knight disciple level is counted as a full initiator level.

Maneuvers Readied

A knight disciple can ready all three of her maneuvers known at 1st level, and as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she is able to ready more, but must still choose which maneuvers to ready. A knight disciple must always ready her maximum number of maneuvers readied. She readies her maneuvers by performing weapon drills or praying to her deity for ten minutes. The maneuvers she chooses remain readied until she decides to meditate again and change them. The knight disciple does not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready her maneuvers; any time she spends ten minutes in prayer and practice, she can change her readied maneuvers.

A knight disciple begins an encounter with all her readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she chose them. When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of her readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless she recovers them, as described below).

In order for the knight disciple to recover maneuvers, she must project her power, protecting her allies from harm as a full-round action. When she does so, she recovers a number of expended maneuvers equal to her knight disciple initiation modifier (minimum 2) and each ally within 30 feet gains a sacred bonus equal to the knight disciple’s initiation modifier (minimum 1) to their AC and on saving throws for one round. Alternately, the knight disciple may focus inward and recover a single maneuver as a standard action.

Stances
A knight disciple begins play with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to knight disciples. At 4th, 7th, 11th, and 13th levels, she can select an additional stance to learn. The maximum level of stances gained through knight disciple levels is limited by those listed in Table: Archetype Maneuver Progression. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and the knight disciple does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she is currently maintaining as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance or discipline description.

Unlike with maneuvers, a knight disciple cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one she already knows.

This ability replaces spells.

Crusader’s Training
At 1st level, a knight disciple begins to express her divine power through her initiating and with effects similar to the spells of other paladins. She selects one of the following abilities to learn at 1st level, and gains another ability at 4th level and every three levels thereafter.

Improved Guardian’s Shield (Su): Allies under the effects of the knight disciple’s guardian’s shield ability also gain the benefits of a protection from evil spell for the duration of the shield.This ability replaces divine bond.

Guardian’s Shield (Su)
At 1st level, a knight disciple learns to surround her allies in a field of holy protective energy. Whenever she initiates a strike, the knight disciple can apply a guardian’s shield to one ally (other than herself) within 60 feet as a free action. This shield lasts for a number of rounds equal to the knight disciple’s initiation modifier.

A guardian’s shield grants the affected ally a number of temporary hit points equal to twice the knight disciple’s initiator level. These temporary hit points do not stack with other temporary hit points, and vanish when the shield’s duration expires. The knight disciple can use her guardian’s shield ability a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her class level (minimum 1) + her knight disciple initiation modifier.

This ability counts as the lay on hands class feature for the purposes of the Extra Lay on Hands feat.
This ability replaces lay on hands.

Spell Familiarity (Ex)
Starting at 1st level, a knight disciple can use spell completion and spell triggers items (such as scrolls and wands) as if she possessed the ability to cast paladin spells, using her initiator level as her effective caster level.

Mark of Censure (Su)
At 1st level, a knight disciple gains the ability to censure the actions of evil creatures, protecting her allies from the harm they cause. Once per day as a swift action, the knight disciple can apply a mark of censure to any evil creature she can see. The mark lasts for 24 hours or until the creature is slain. While the mark of censure is in effect, the knight disciple’s allies (other than herself) gain damage reduction/– equal to her knight disciple initiation modifier against attacks made by the marked creature. At 11th level, this damage reduction increases to equal twice her knight disciple initiation modifier. At 4th level and every three levels thereafter, the knight disciple can use this ability an additional time per day.
This ability replaces smite evil.

Merciful Shield (Su)
At 3rd level, a knight disciple’s guardian’s shield becomes potent enough to protect allies from debilitating effects. The knight disciple selects one condition from the list below that she meets the prerequisites for. Whenever an ally under the effects of her guardian’s shield would gain a condition she has selected, that condition is negated and the duration of the guardian’s shield affecting them is reduced by one round. This ability can remove a condition caused by a curse, disease, or poison without curing the affliction.
At 3rd level, the knight disciple can select from the following conditions:
Shaken

2 point evolutions
Improved ability score (Dex)

When he’s not in armor, Hakon wears simple leathers and furs. He has a quiet calm and intensity about him. He has close-cropped golden hair and a small beard about his mouth.

He spent most of his time on the streets of Sundabar. That meant he had an odd place amongst the other street children he befriended. He wasn’t an orphan, nor was he homeless. But, he didn’t really have a home, either. Generally, though, he was accepted, and made friends easily. Especially when he managed to pass out all the scraps from the tavern at the end of the day.

The Lions, as he called his closest friends, were his “gang”. They were street children, all orphans, who he had befriended through hardship and dedication. Some, he had started to hang around and share food with, winning them over through compassion and kindness. Others, he’d won over in the time-honored tradition of punching them until they saw reason and realized it was better to be friends than enemies. All of them, however, he defended like a warrior to his ring-giver. He wasn’t the always the smartest of his group, and he rarely was the strongest or tallest. But, he was the bravest. He had decided from the start that might, did not make right, and the strong shouldn’t prey on the weak. He decided to be the exact opposite of his father in every way. The Lions loved him for it, and easily made him their leader.

Such went on for several years, the Lions fiercely loyal and defending themselves from the other gangs of street children. They never stole or begged, “because they had principles”, so they were largely ignored by the thieves’ guilds and crime gangs. They stuck together and made sure to never be out at night or in anything less than groups of four, always staying away from rich adults who traveled in rough circles, or smiled too much at people who were too dirty. There were stories about what happened to children who didn’t avoid those people.. Even if they weren’t true, it was better to be safe, than sorry. The last thing Hakon wanted was for any of the Lions to end up sold to the mines or the army, or snapped up by some cultist… or worse.

All of this changed in his 11th winter. Ake, one of the youngest of the Lions, was getting shaken down by a man in crimson plate armor. Thinking the worst, Hakon jumped in between the two and told the man to “sheath his sword in Auril’s pond!” The most bizarre thing happened, though: an eagle with feathers of silver and gold burst down from the sky and flapped at the armored man until he backed away. All three stood in mute shock for a moment as the bird hovered for a moment, dipped in a sort of bow towards Hakon, and then shot up into the sky.

Ake and Hakon ran away in the confusion, but things were different after that. The Lions looked at Hakon a bit differently, some even thought he was a witch. And, everywhere Hakon went, the man in red armor seemed to be near. At the market, Red was on the other side talking to a merchant. On the street, Red would be talking to one of the Stone Shields in the distance. He even spied Red in Half-Ear’s tavern a few nights. The bird kept coming, and so did other things: a dog that seemed a bit too intelligent, a cat that had golden eyes, and a pure-white horse; all at the most opportune times, and all disappearing as quickly as they had come. As time went on, the Lions became fewer and fewer; the animals were strange and in the North “strange” usually meant “demon” or “witch”. Neither were things good, sensible people wanted to be around.

By winter of this twelfth year, the Lions were all but gone, and Hakon was feeling very, very lost. So, he couldn’t really be blamed for snapping and confronting the man in red armor one frozen night. Bane’s Codpiece! What do you want?! He’d shouted. You can find a coinlass on every street. Or lad. Whichever. Old Yorvik, the butcher, will sell you a sheepskin for a few coppers.

The man in red armor laughed. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth, Hakon? He didn’t sound evil, or like the rich men who looked too long at street children. He sounded like someone who seemed... nice.

How do you know my name? Except, of course, that the strange man in red armor knew Hakon’s name. He bunched his fists, ready to fight.

It’s not hard to learn the name of the Pride of the Lions of Sundabar. Red man laughed. A boy as young as you, forming a street gang that doesn’t steal, or beg[/ib] or accept even a copper for helping people? That’s a rare thing. He chuckled and shook his head. There isn’t a real thieves’ guild here to hide from, boy, and the Stone Shields never bothered with you because you didn’t commit any crimes. But, they knew who you were all the same. He shrugged, the motion sent piles of snow unto the ground. Besides, once I saw a celestial eagle comes to your call, I needed to learn more. You, glow.

What language are we speaking right now? Red Armor stood calmly as the weight of his words sank on Hakon’s ears. The fight left Hakon instantly as realization came to him: [i]Ahuni bemini k’wanik’wa newi iyetenagerini yalenewi? It wasn’t Iluskan, nor anything else he’d heard on the streets of Sundabar. The words rang like a choir of perfect voices all speaking in choral harmony like a combination of a song, a marching tune, and something else: warm and perfect and good. Something he couldn’t define but knew, deep in his heart, was where he wanted to be.

Hakon stumbled back into the side of a building and heard metal clattering against stone. He raised his armored hands to his eyes in shock. What? What’s going on?

Hakon, my name is Asger Brynjarson, I am a priest of Torm, and I can help you. You have summoned the armor of Heaven… that’s amazing. It’s rare for anyone to do this, let alone someone as young as you. He held out his hand, and Hakon backed away. Please, let me help you.

Hakon looked down at his glowing armored body. Try as he might, he didn’t know how to get rid of it. He was stuck. Fine, but no funny business! I’m no coinlad!

Never! I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want. You don’t need to worship Torm, or anyone, nor will I send you to the Stone Shields or anyone else once you’ve learned control. Your choices and your life are your own. You can leave anytime you wish if you ever feel uncomfortable or pressured. But, you must learn control, however you do that.

Hakon nodded in defeat. He had no choice. We have to help my friends, first.

Asger unhooked his helm and smiled kindly. Of course.

That was thirteen years ago, and Hakon was happy he’d made the choice. True to his word, Asger found good homes for the Lions (at least, those that wanted homes). And, he never pressured or forced Hakon.

That’s not to say Hakon’s training went smoothly. He tried to quit several times. But, each time, Asger was there, patiently listening to Hakon’s fears and frustrations, offering a calm soothing word when needed, or gentle, fatherly hug at others. When Hakon was insolent, Asger was stern and firm, but never cruel or brutal. In time, the scars from his life with Half-Ear began to fade, and Hakon came to see Asger as not just a mentor, but a father as well. His proudest moment, even beyond when he’d finally mastered summoning his armor, was when he’d told Asger that he wanted to pledge himself to Torm’s service as a paladin. Asger had openly wept that day, and Hakon did the same. For the first time since he could remember, Hakon felt whole.

Now, he’s served in the Halls of Everlasting Justice with unswerving faith and loyalty, obeying each lawful command eagerly and without forethought. He has striven to live his life according to Torm’s edicts, despite his foul mouth. Lately, though, he has begun to aspire for more than simple service to the church. He’s frequently been returning back to memories of his childhood, and the Lions… He wants to build a home for street children, one that teaches children a craft to use as adults, and allows them to choose their adoptive parents and not the other way around.